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Elections

April 1, 2014
According to unofficial final election results, Carbondale's new trustees will be Katrina Byars and Alexander Hobbs. Trustee Frosty Merriott was re-elected to his seat. Carbondale Mayor Stacey Patch Bernot ran unopposed for re-election.

In Silt, mayoral candidate Rick Aluise won over Mark Anderson. Silt voters also elected D Aron Diaz, Dylan Lewis and Bryan Fleming to the Board of Trustees. They also voted on whether the Town Administrator should have the power to designate the town clerk, police chief and treasurer, voting against the question 318 votes to 212.

In Basalt, Mark Kittle, Bernie Grauer and Gary Tennenbaum were elected to Town Council. Basalt voters also approved a ballot question establishing a 2 consecutive term limit for the offices of mayor and town councilor.

November 6, 2013
In this year's election, Carbondale's marijuana taxes passed by a margin of more than 2 to 1. A property tax increase proposed by the Carbondale and Rural Fire protection district failed by a narrow margin of about 400 votes.

In Basalt, a bond issue raising money for the redevelopment of the Pan and Fork Mobile Home Park passed by a margin of around 2 to 1.

Ballot questions proposing two property tax increases to fund the controversial Crown Mountain indoor recreation center failed by a wide margin of more than 4 to 1.

And on the state level, voters overwhelmingly approved taxes for recreational marijuana, setting the rates at 15 percent for excise taxes and an initial 10 percent for sales taxes on the drug.

Voters also rejected Amendment 66, a tax hike that would have injected nearly a billion dollars into Colorado schools. KDNK's Ed Williams has more on how the amendment's failure will affect schools in the Roaring Fork Valley.

October 17, 2013
A measure on the November ballot will ask voters in the Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District to increase their taxes in order to avoid a 40% budget cut to emergency services in the area. Fire and EMS workers get their funding from property taxes, and as property values continue to fall, Carbondale Fire Chief Ron Leach hopes voter support of Ballot Question 4B will save the fire department from layoffs and decreased response time to emergencies. KDNK's Ed Williams talked to Chief Leach about the measure.

September 26, 2013
Colorado House Bill 13-1303, passed last May, has changed the face of elections in Colorado. This coming November's coordinated election will be the first election conducted by mail. Earlier this week, KDNK's Amy Hadden Marsh spoke with Garfield County clerk Jean Alberico about what the new rules mean for local voters.

For more information about the November coordinated election, contact the Garfield County clerk's office in Glenwood Springs or Rifle, or go to www.sos.state.co.us

January 30, 2013
Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler stopped in Glenwood Springs Tuesday to get some feedback on last November's elections. Residents from Garfield, Pitkin and Eagle counties came out to share their compliments and criticisms with Gessler. KDNK's Eric Skalac has more.

November 7, 2012
Democrats now have control of both chambers of the Colorado state legislature, putting the GOP in the backseat when it comes to next legislative session. Republican had hoped to expand their one-seat advantage in the house of representatives. Bente Birkeland has more from Denver.

October 30, 2012
Two Republican members of the Garfield County Commission are facing Democratic challengers in the November election. This week on NRG with MG, we continue a series of interviews with the incumbents and the challengers focusing on energy issues. Last week we heard from commissioner John Martin, running for a fifth term. He is running against today's guest, Sonja Linman, a 23-year resident of Garfield County with a background in education. KDNK's Marilyn Gleason started by asking Linman to speak broadly about energy here is Garfield County.

October 26, 2012
On this week's news brief, KDNK's Eric Skalac catches up with Curtis Wackerle of the Aspen Daily News to find out about which Pitkin County commissioner candidate is the bigger environmentalist.

October 25, 2012
Close to 70 people packed Democratic Headquarters in Glenwood Springs on Monday to listen to members of President Obama's cabinet and the head of Emily's List. The women were on a whirlwind, swing state tour to stump for the President. KDNK's Amy Hadden Marsh has more about locals' responses to the Obama and the Romney campaigns.

October 24, 2012
Garfield county's ballot question 1A asks voters to weigh in on a new sales tax that would go towards the county purchasing land for conservation. Those spaces may be chosen to preserve water quality and quantity, wildlife habitat, ranches and open lands and other areas important to recreation and tourism. The measure has attracted endorsements from diverse organizations like the West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association, the Roaring Fork Sierra Club and as of last night, the Carbondale board of trustees.

Despite criticism of the measure by Mayor Stacey Bernot and other board members, Carbondale trustees unanimously approved a motion to endorse 1A.

KDNK's Eric Skalac spoke with Bernot after the meeting to find out how the open space measure fits with the goals of the town's ongoing Comprehensive Plan process but also about why the source of funding was a concern.